1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved method for initiating a rental agreement for an item such as a hotel room or an automobile. More particularly the invention relates to a system and software program for reading data contained on one or more credit cards, transmitting the data via a radio frequency channel, and printing the data at the location of the provider of the rental service.
2. Description of Prior Arrangements
Two of the most fundamental needs of travelers today are hotel rooms and rental vehicles. In order to pay for the rental of these items, many travelers utilize credit cards because of the many advantages that credit cards provide. For example, by utilizing credit cards, travelers can make a substantial number of purchases without requiring cash. Also, by utilizing credit cards travelers can enjoy the convenience of paying for a number of previously charged items on a monthly basis, upon receipt of itemized statements.
Another advantage afforded by use of credit cards is that credit cards are widely accepted for the purpose of reserving items such as hotel rooms and automobiles for subsequent rental. However, despite the convenience of reserving hotel rooms and automobiles with credit cards, there are still problems associated with entering into such rental agreements.
One of these problems is that providers of rental services typically do not prepare a customer's rental agreement prior to the arrival of the renting customer. This practice is common since potential customers having reservations for rental services occasionally change their plans so that they no longer require the rental services, but they neglect to cancel the reservations. As a result, rental service providers typically require customers to appear in person and wait while the rental agreement is prepared. After signing the prepared agreement, the rental service provider gives the customer keys to a hotel room, or in the case of an automobile rental, keys to an automobile.
There are a number of procedures that have been developed by rental service providers to solve this problem. In particular, some hotels or automobile rental agencies provide customers having reservations with a method of expedited rental agreement processing, typically called "express check-in". This program generally operates in conjunction with a shuttle bus, owned by the hotel or agency, that circulates between the hotel or agency and a nearby airport.
Under the express check-in program, a customer who has previously made a reservation boards a shuttle bus, which is bound for the hotel or agency, at the airport. The bus driver instructs the boarding customers who have previously made reservations for rental services to provide a credit card to the bus driver. Subsequently, the driver utilizes a two-way radio to contact an express check-in clerk of the hotel or agency, and the driver informs the clerk of the customers' names and credit card numbers. Upon receiving this data, the clerk prepares rental agreements for the arriving customers.
In the case of a hotel, when the customers arrive they can quickly complete their rental agreements by signing the agreements, whereupon their room keys are provided.
In the case of an automobile rental agency, agency employees prepare the automobiles for the arrival of the customers by unlocking the automobiles' doors, placing the prepared rental agreements in the automobiles corresponding to the agreements, placing the customers' names on tags which hang from the automobiles' rear view mirrors, and starting the automobiles' engines. When the customers arrive, they identify the automobiles assigned to them and drive their assigned automobiles to an exit booth of the rental agency. The customers are permitted to exit the rental lot by presenting their signed agreements and their credit cards to an employee stationed at the exit booth.
Although these programs can provide customers with expedited check-in for rental services, the programs have a number of limitations. In particular, if the bus driver's attention is occupied for some reason, the driver might not be able to process a customer's credit card before the bus arrives at the hotel or rental agency, and the customer will be required to wait for the preparation of his/her rental agreement. For example, the driver might not have an opportunity to read the card if the driver is navigating the bus through complicated city streets, or if the driver is driving in heavy traffic. Therefore, in order to provide more convenient express check-in service to customers, a system is needed for transmitting credit card data from a vehicle such as a shuttle bus to a remote site without assistance from the bus driver.
In addition to the problems of complicated navigation or heavy traffic, another factor that might affect the driver's ability to relay all customers' credit cards is the presence of a large number of customers requiring express check-in. Therefore, a system is needed to quickly receive the credit cards of a plurality of credit card holders and transmit the data contained thereon to a remote location.
Another disadvantage associated with the express check-in programs described above is that the programs might not be as safe as desired, since the programs require the driver to perform activities unrelated to driving the bus. As a result, it would be desirable from the standpoint of safety to have a system that transmits customers' credit card data to a remote site without requiring assistance from the bus driver.
A further disadvantage of these programs is that erroneous data is sometimes transmitted. For example, in attempting to simultaneously drive the shuttle bus and read credit cards over the radio, the driver might read data incorrectly. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a system that reads customers' credit cards with an electronic card reader.
In addition to error that result from an incorrect reading by the bus driver, errors might result if the bus driver pronounces words poorly and/or if the person in radio communication with the driver misunderstands the driver's message. As a result, a computer-based system is needed to electronically enode credit card data and transmit the data to a remote location for electronic decoding and printing.
Furthermore, in addition to errors introduced by the driver, errors may be introduced by unreliable communications equipment. Accordingly, a system is needed that utilizes an error checking algorithm to ensure the integrity of the transmitted data.